What You Need
by Nephilim SinClaire
Summary: (AU, RobinXBB slash) Robin was one of those kids with everything he could ever want, until a new student, Gar Logan, showed him what he needed...
1. Monday: New Kid

Author's Notes: Okay, this is an AU fic in which the Titans are all just normal high school kids. There will be Robin X Beast Boy slash, so if you oppose, RUN. Don't flame me 'cause I don't give a shit. If you have any other form of comment, R&R!  
  
Disclaimer: ...Heh, I wish.  
  
What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 1: New Kid/Monday  
  
I miss him.  
  
Seriously, how fucked up is that? He was obnoxious, always getting into trouble, a bit of a wimp, and hell, I only knew him for a week. One week, during which I faced more hell-on-earth than in all sixteen years of my life put together. I should hate him. I should hope that he dies on his way to wherever he's going. Hell, I should wish he'd never been born in the first place. But...  
  
God, I really can't live without him.  
  
It's weird how stuff like this works out. A week ago, I was the guy every girl was after, the guy every guy wanted to be. Now... Social outcast. All his fault, of course. But somehow, when I think of him, those eyes that sparkled with such love for life, those gentle hands that had held so many lives tightly, that sweet little laugh... All I wanted was for him to be back here with me.  
  
Because I'd fallen in love with him.  
  
Me, Robin Grayson, in love with another guy. A damn irritating one, too. I wanted to forget him. I wanted to hate him. But trying to do so hurt like hell.  
  
So instead, I'm waiting for him. It's been a month since he left, and I don't even know if he's still alive at this point, but I'm going to keep hoping, because at this point hope is all I've got left.  
  
Gar... Please, hurry up and come back to me.  
  
~*Three months prior*~  
  
It had begun as just another Monday: Annoying and tiring, but necessary. I'd just gotten out of fencing club, one of the three classes that I took after school, the other two being karate and yoga. Yes, that's right: Yoga. I could bend myself into five different kinds of pretzel.  
  
So anyway, I'd just gotten out of class, and I was sitting out front of the school, waiting for my two best friends, Cy and Raven, to get out of football practice and swimming, respectively. Cy was this big guy, the quarterback of the football team, but he was also a total techie. Loved making gadgets and junk. And he had the coolest name for a techie, too: Cy Borg. I wonder sometimes if his parents had planned it like that. Unfortunately, he was kind of worried about what other people would think of him if they found out that he was such a nerd when it came to electronics and stuff, so the entire thing was just between the three of us.  
  
Anyways, Raven was the girl of the group, but she'd be likely to punch your lights out if you called her a girl-under *any* circumstances. She was our tomboy and goth, wicked angsty, and athletic like the rest of us. She used to take track, in addition to swimming, until she'd grown breasts. After discovering that they were uncomfortable to run with, and that binding them made it hard to breath, she'd grudgingly dropped it to focus on swimming. She also liked arts, and wrote some awesome bloody poetry.  
  
So, I was just sitting there waiting for them, when I heard some yelling from somewhere to my right, in the parking lot. Standing up from the bench, I peered over in the general direction of the sound.  
  
"C'mon, man, lemme see!"  
  
I recognized that kid. He was this shrimpy little brat, called Gizmo because he was such a prodigy when it came to machines. He was even more of a techie than Cy. He had this kid that I'd never seen before (this kind of disturbed me; the popular kids were supposed to know everyone) backed in against a car. The other kid-a short, skinny boy with brown hair, streaked a dark forest green in a few places, and green eyes that were so vibrant I could tell their color even from my post about 10 yards away-was holding a small box-like a shoebox-protectively in his arms. I guessed that the box was what Gizmo was after.  
  
The other boy just shook his head, looking slightly frightened, but defiant. Of course, he really had nothing to be frightened about quite yet. The real trouble would begin if and when Gizmo's friends turned up: A massive wrestler called Mammoth, and a goth girl with some killer martial arts moves called Jinx. They were a deadly combination.  
  
"Dude, why the hell not?" Gizmo exclaimed, exasperated. "Is it really so good that you hafta keep it secret? Or is it just illegal? C'mon, man, spill! I won't tell! Drugs? Weapons?"  
  
The other boy's eyes widened at the mention of illegal substances, as if he'd never heard of such an awful thing before, and he stuttered out a no. Gizmo, however, must have mistaken his shock for guilt, because he grinned evilly and grabbed onto the box and tried to tug it away.  
  
"Stop it!" the green-eyed boy demanded, yanking the box away sharply with strength that his tiny frame should not have even had. Gizmo, obviously not expecting that, lost balance and toppled to the ground.  
  
Now, I would have cheered for him. I always liked to see that little brat getting what he deserved. Unfortunately, the other boy had picked a really awful time to show any sort of physical strength, as wrestling practice and philosophy club had apparently just let out.  
  
"Gizmo!"  
  
Jinx, being much faster than that lumbering jerk Mammoth, was by Gizmo's side in a second, playing the big sister and checking him over for any sign of being hurt. Immediately, the brat started bawling his eyes out, screaming about how the other kid had been taunting him with that box, but when he'd asked-very *nicely*, of course-to see what was inside he'd been pushed down. By the time he'd finished his little spiel, Mammoth had caught up to Jinx, and the kid with the box looked about ready to piss himself.  
  
The second that Mammoth arrived, he was staring down the box kid with that sort of look on his face that screamed, "When I'm done with you, they won't find enough remains to fill that little shoebox." That's the thing about Mammoth-He can't talk very well, and his vocabulary is pretty much limited to "I'll have a cheeseburger with fries, hold the onions," but he could synthesize some really eloquent threats just by the way he looked at someone.  
  
He grabbed Box Kid by the collar and growled. The kid was really terrified at this point, but he still somehow managed to hold onto his box, albeit with trembling hands.  
  
"So, you think it's funny to pick on kids just because they're smaller than you?" Mammoth growled with a cruel grin. I found that funny, considering that the box kid was probably small enough to fit his entire body into one of Mammoth's shoes. But then again, the big lug was always contradicting himself. I also found it funny that, somehow, both he and Jinx had managed to miss the triumphant smirk that Gizmo had shot at the other boy once Mammoth arrived. Obviously, the box kid was *not* the one who found this situation entertaining.  
  
The box kid raised an eyebrow, and that defiant look sparked in his eyes. "That must be it," he said sarcastically. "Because I've got just the perfect stature to be intimidating people. Dude, I've seen *kindergarteners* taller than me!"  
  
I briefly wondered where he got the guts to say something like that, but then Jinx piped into the conversation.  
  
"So, you finally found someone who was smaller than you, and you decided to see what it was like to play the bully," she said through clenched teeth. "Great plan, asshole. I guess you weren't counting on him having *friends*, God forbid. And now you even have the nerve to lie about it!"  
  
I raised my eyebrow at what she'd said. Somehow, it seemed hard to think of them as friends. They seemed more like... I don't know, siblings. People who were stuck together, but just chose to make the best of it. But friends... They just didn't really seem that capable of friendship.  
  
"That's not it!" the smaller boy wailed, but before he could defend himself any more, Mammoth had him gripped around the throat, cutting off his air supply with a muffled whimper.  
  
I figured that it was about time I stepped in. I had this policy of non- interference unless the situation got really bad, but... This kid looked like he would snap in half if you poked him hard enough. He couldn't stand a Mammoth-beating.  
  
I strode up into the parking lot, unnoticed by the trio or their captive. Now, I had mentioned before that he was skinny, but once I got close enough, I saw that this wasn't exactly true: He wasn't skinny, he was practically *emaciated*. He probably didn't have an ounce of fat on him, and any muscles he had were really lean and barely noticeable.  
  
"Let him go," I demanded. The three of them turned to me, and the box boy craned his neck to try and see me around Mammoth's bulk.  
  
"We're just teaching him a lesson, Mr. Truth-and-Justice," Jinx told me chidingly. "He was picking on Gizmo. He needs to be punished. It's our problem, not yours, so scram!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. Well, if they thought of me as "Mr. Truth-and-Justice, I might as well go for that role. "Two wrongs don't make a right," I told them, even though I knew that there had been no original wrong. "Just let him go. He knows not to mess with you again, right?"  
  
They all looked at him, waiting for an answer. Now, I had just given him the perfect out. He could just say, "Of course, never again!" and get out scot-free. Any person with an ounce of common sense would have done it.  
  
"But I didn't do anything!"  
  
...And then there was him.  
  
I groaned inwardly as Mammoth raised a fist in rage, and leapt forward to stop the blow. I grabbed his fist and held it back, and, in his surprise, he dropped the box boy into a crumpled heap on the ground, the box hitting the cement beside him. Immediately, he snatched up the box and held it close to him, searching it carefully for signs of external damage. I figured there must have been something fragile inside.  
  
However, I didn't have time to ponder over this. Within a second of realizing what had happened, Mammoth gave a mighty roar and threw me off to the side. I skidded a little, but managed to land on my feet. I glared up at him angrily.  
  
"I'm not going to let you hurt him!" I yelled. I didn't even bother trying to explain that no, he hadn't done anything wrong. It wouldn't have sunk in.  
  
Mammoth snorted. "You and what army?" he asked menacingly.  
  
"Well..." came a voice from the direction of the school, and I found myself sighing in relief. Cy, just out of football practice. "We may not exactly be an army, but we can sure as hell handle you assholes."  
  
Raven was with him, still in her black swimsuit, but she had a blue towel draped over her shoulders like a cape. Her short hair, dyed deep purple, was still wet, but partially hidden under this silly black bucket-style hat that she always wore. It shadowed over her eyes, and gave her this really mysterious, deadly look. Her glare managed to freeze Mammoth for a moment, but he recovered in a second. After all, he couldn't let it get out that he'd been intimidated by a *girl*.  
  
"Them's fighting words," he growled out, but Cy just grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I guess they are!" he said with a bit of giddiness in his voice. "That's good. I need the workout. Practice was too easy today."  
  
Mammoth blanched a little at that. It was extremely well known just how strenuous Coach Mason's practices were, and here was Cy talking about them like he'd just gotten back from prancing through a field of daisies.  
  
Once again, however, pride got the better of the big lug, and with an enraged roar, he threw himself at Cy, who merely stepped aside and let him tumble to the ground.  
  
"Well, that was productive," he said sarcastically. However, Mammoth was back on his feet in a second, and then the real fight began.  
  
I really couldn't tell what was happening. It was all just a blur of fists and feet and, at one point, *teeth* as Mammoth resorted to some very savage, primitive tactics. Raven was hovering on the edge of the battle, ready to jump in at any second if necessary, and Jinx and Gizmo were cheering loudly for their friend (God, it feels weird describing him as that) from their place kneeling on the concrete. As for me, I just watched, sure that I was forgetting something, but unable to pinpoint what it was.  
  
"Everybody, SHUT UP!"  
  
Ah, yes. The little hellion that had instigated all of this.  
  
I turned to him, glaring at him through my sunglasses (which were really super-cool, by the way; I hardly ever took them off), all ready to yell and scream about how he'd started all of this in the first place. But what I saw froze the words in my throat. The box was lying open on the ground in front of him, and inside, nestled amongst the folds of cloth, were three bird's eggs-all crushed.  
  
But here's what really got to me: There were tears in his eyes. He hadn't shed a single tear when he'd been so terrified earlier, or when Mammoth had his hand around his throat, threatening to crush that delicate little windpipe. And here he was, looking all sad and dejected over a few birds. I guess that was when it began. The first time I'd looked at him as more than just a little pest that was, and would for the rest of the week as well, causing me all sorts of trouble.  
  
"Aw, man!" Gizmo exclaimed huffily. "It was just a bunch of dumb bird's eggs? All that over nothing... Let's get out of here guys."  
  
Jinx agreed readily, and together they managed to haul Mammoth (who wanted to "finish it" with Cy, even though he was totally getting his ass kicked) away. That left just the four of us.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Cy lost it. "Dude, I just got into a fight over some *broken bird's eggs?!* What the hell is up with that?!" he demanded at the other boy loudly. He was poking around at the remains, this really depressing, sullen look on his face.  
  
"I... I just wanted to save them," he explained softly. "Their mother died... So I decided to take care of them... That kid... He seemed like the type who'd smash them if I showed them to him, and I didn't want to risk that, so I didn't let him see them... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this."  
  
Cy had opened his mouth again, probably to argue some more, but thankfully, Raven saw this and whacked him upside the head to shut him up. Apparently, she saw the sadness of this situation, as well.  
  
I walked over to the boy and knelt beside him, ready to give my condolences and help him up or whatever, when a tiny chirping sound caught our attention.  
  
Hope filled his eyes, pushing out the sadness and tears as he reached down into the box. His pale hands moved of the folds of white fabric aside, revealing a tiny, perfect, and unbelievably cute bird. It looked up at him, then over to me, and chirped again.  
  
Joy and relief flooded his face as he saw the tiny creature, and I found myself happy for him. He squealed in delight, and picked up the little bird gently. It looked up at him with big eyes and held open its mouth. He laughed and hopped to his feet.  
  
"Well, I've got to go!" he said cheerfully, this dopey sort of grin on his face. "I think he's hungry. I'll see you guys later!"  
  
And then, he ran off, and was gone. No "Thank you for saving my ass," or anything of the sort. Just... Gone.  
  
There was an awkward moment of silence. Then...  
  
"Okay, what the *hell* was that?!"  
  
Raven tossed this annoyed look at Cy. "That was the new kid. He's in my English class. His name is Garfield Logan, I think."  
  
"Yeah, well, dude needs to learn some *manners*," Cy grumbled.  
  
I just stared off in the direction he'd left. There was... Something about him that I couldn't place, and it was annoying the living hell out of me.  
  
He'd said "I'll see you guys later." And he'd seemed pretty confident that he would. I chose to ignore that, but somehow, it just kept rising up in the back of my mind.  
  
"Let's go home," I found myself calling as I walked away, casting one last look in the direction that this Garfield had left.  
  
I'd see him again.  
  
I knew that.  
  
But I didn't have to want it.  
  
~*End Chapter One*~ 


	2. Tuesday: Starfire

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 2: Tuesday/Starfire  
  
"I think you should make friends with her."  
  
I raised my eyebrow, shooting him an annoyed glance. It was lunchtime, and, for some reason, it seemed that this Garfield kid had decided that I was his new best friend. He'd sat down at me, Cy, and Raven's table, not even with a "Hello, may I please sit here?", and began eating. That was okay, I guess, but then he'd said that thing about "making friends with her." I didn't like people telling me what to do, especially when I didn't even know what the hell they were talking about.  
  
"Make friends with who?" I asked, irritated. He nodded in the direction of this girl with red hair, a foreign exchange student from-Well, actually, I couldn't remember where she'd come from. She had a really weird accent, one that I wasn't familiar with.  
  
"Starfire," he said. "She's really nice, and she needs some good friends. I've talked to her a little, but... Well, we just didn't really click, y'know?"  
  
I sighed. "Look, Garfield-"  
  
"Gar."  
  
I blinked. "Huh?" I asked, oh-so-wittily.  
  
"Call me Gar. Garfield is a cat's name," he explained as he took a big bite out of his macaroni and cheese.  
  
I sighed again. "Okay, Gar then..." I conceded. "Listen, I don't like people telling me what to do, and I really don't want to make friends with some girl that I've never even spoken to. And besides... What the hell kind of a name is Starfire, anyway?"  
  
He just giggled, like he hadn't heard the first half of my little spiel. "According to her, her parents were their countries equivalent of hippies," he told me, then stared off thoughtfully. "Y'know, it's weird... I'd never even heard of her country before she told me about it... And it's got this really funky name, too. I can't pronounce it. It makes my tongue do funny things."  
  
I stared at him incredulously. Had he even heard what I'd said?  
  
"And besides, it's not even you I really want to become friends with her," he stated after a moment, as if reading my mind. This kid was seriously weird. "It's Raven. But I doubt she'd want to be friends with anyone that wasn't friends with you and Cy, so..."  
  
I wondered briefly at how he'd learned our names, but pushed it from my mind in favor of a more confusing issue. "Why Raven?" I asked him, glancing around to make sure that neither she nor Cy was coming back from the lunch line at the moment.  
  
Gar shrugged. "She needs it," he said vaguely, sipping from his carton of orange juice.  
  
I was about to ask him to clarify, but Cy and Raven ha chosen that moment to make their way through the crowded cafeteria to our table, so I just turned back to my lunch. Meatloaf. Joy.  
  
"Hey, man, what's up?" Cy asked amiably, but he shot me a questioning look, jerking his head in Gar's direction. I shrugged to let him know that the wacko sitting with us had certainly not been my idea.  
  
"Not much," I replied out loud. I hesitated a second, shooting a glance at Gar. He ignored me, concentrating on his mac and cheese. Great. He was going to let me make the decision of what to do. In other words, two choices: Give in and go sit with Starfire, or stay here and then have to face the guilt of leaving her all alone. He knew that if he didn't push, there would be guilt, because I couldn't get mad at him for being annoying and use that as an out.  
  
But I wasn't going to give in.  
  
I was stronger than that.  
  
"Hey guys, I was thinking about maybe asking that foreign exchange girl to come sit with us. What do you think?"  
  
...Dammit. I'd forgotten about that damn conscience thing.  
  
Cy raised his eyebrow. "That redhead?" he asked, glancing over in her direction. "Well... She is cute, I guess..."  
  
Raven, of course, just shrugged. If she really did "need this", then she sure as hell didn't know it. She looked like she couldn't care less. However, she did cast a slightly intrigued look in the direction of the redhead.  
  
"I'll go get her!" Gar chirped happily, entering the conversation once again now that he knew he'd won, and I tried to ignore the triumphant grin that he sent in my direction. He hopped over to the table, two rows away, where Starfire was sitting all alone. They chatted a bit about something or another (I couldn't hear over the din of the cafeteria), laughed a little, and then Gar grabbed her hand and began pulling her through the crowds to our table.  
  
"Everyone, this is Starfire!" he announced in his happiest voice, a cheerful grin gracing his face. Starfire just smiled joyfully and clasped her hands in front of her chest.  
  
I stood up. "Hey, Starfire," I began, trying to be as friendly as possible while secretly wishing painful deaths upon Gar for his manipulative ways. "I'm Robin Grayson. This is Cy, and that's-"  
  
"Raven," the dark-haired girl said, deciding to introduce herself for some reason. I found that strange; usually, she just stayed quiet and moody in a corner, letting everyone else talk. For some reason, however, she was watching this strange new girl like she was the most interesting thing she'd set eyes on in quite a while. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Starfire, in an even more cheerful voice than Gar's, finally spoke. "And I am very pleased to meet you, as well!" she said enthusiastically, and I wondered at the accent again. "I am sure that we shall become very good friends!"  
  
And then, the impossible happened.  
  
Raven smiled, laughed, and responded with, "I'm looking forward to it!"  
  
~*~  
  
That day after school, I found myself running to catch up to Gar, who was already well past the parking lot and walking down main street, the same street I'd seen him disappear down yesterday.  
  
"Hey! Wait up!" I called out as soon as I was within earshot, and he stopped. In a few moments, I was standing beside him, trying to catch my breath while working out what I wanted to say.  
  
"How did you know?" I asked as soon as my throat stopped burning. He looked up at me, this innocent, curious expression on his face, like he had no idea what I was talking about.  
  
"Know what?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in question, an action that annoyed me back then, but that I'd later find absolutely adorable.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about," I told him, frustrated, but he just sent me one of those It's-all-Greek-to-me look. Growling slightly, I clarified. "How did you know that Raven and Starfire would hit it off like that? I've never seen her be that... *Friendly,* to *anyone* before."  
  
Gar sighed, like I was the one annoying him. "It's just like I said... She *needed* her."  
  
"You've already said that!" I said impatiently. "I want to know *why!*"  
  
"Tell me," he started, staring up at me with those huge green eyes that knew something I didn't. It kind of pissed me off. "When you said 'anyone', who did you mean? From what I've seen, the people at your school fit into one of four main groups: Jocks, preps, everyone else who's lower on the food chain-Y'know, geeks and nerds and junk-and then you three. I've seen people like Raven before. She makes friends only with people that she thinks of as 'real,' and the jocks and preps are generally very fake. Then there are the geeks and nerds, but they're all generally dull, and she'd rather not associate with them. So she picked you and Cy, and just stuck with you."  
  
I raised my eyebrow. "You picked up all this from knowing her... For *one day*?" I asked incredulously.  
  
"I've been around a lot of people," he explained. "I can generally tell what they're gonna be like pretty quickly. So, was I right about her?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess..." I admitted grudgingly. "But where does Starfire fit into all this?"  
  
"Starfire... Doesn't fit in. That's the whole point," he said, wrinkling his brow in concentration, as if he couldn't quite figure out how to explain this all to me. "She's very 'real,' so to speak. She wouldn't go for popularity over real friendship, she's not too into clothes and fashion and painting her nails, and, most importantly, she was *alone*. I'm sure Raven remembers being alone. If she hadn't been, she wouldn't be quite so... Moody."  
  
Okay, at this point, Gar was seriously starting to freak me out. Before me and Cy, yeah, Raven had been totally alone. Her mother had died when she was really little, like, five years old, practically preschool age, and her father was just an asshole, plain and simple, so no one could really blame her for trying not to socialize with him. She hadn't had many childhood friends, and she'd never had a best friend up until halfway through middle school, when she met us.  
  
Still, I was doubtful of what he'd said about Raven needing Starfire. "That's great and all, but I still don't see why Raven would *need* her," I told him. "I mean... Why is she so different from Cy and me? Why would Raven need her when she already has us?"  
  
"It's a girl thing," he told me simply, and I almost burst out laughing, but managed to confine myself to a few chuckles. He looked at me confusedly. "What's so funny?"  
  
"You really *don't* know what you're talking about!" I informed him, feeling slightly relieved and a bit victorious, in some weird way. It had been a bit scary, the way he'd known everything about Raven without actually knowing her. "Raven, well... That chick's no girl!"  
  
I laughed a bit more, but stopped abruptly a second later when he shot me one of those "Are you really that stupid?" looks. Oddly enough, there was something akin to frustration burning in his bright green eyes.  
  
"The only reason she acts like such a tomboy is because the only friends she has are guys!" he said vehemently. "I mean, you guys must have influenced the way she grew up a lot, and I'm guessing that she has very few female relatives, to boot, but just because she's a tomboy doesn't mean she's not female! And girls need girl friends! You know, for girl talk and stuff like that. It's like, therapeutic for them or something. So, unless you wanna talk to her about cramps and boys while you paint your toenails, she *needs* a female friend!"  
  
Shit. He really does know what he's talking about. Right down to her having no female relatives. Creepy.  
  
"How do you know all this?" I asked him, humbled, but not quite willing to admit that he was right.  
  
"...One of my best friends when I was a kid explained it to me," he said, this kind of sad look crossing his face. "She was really into psychology and stuff like that. I asked her once why girls tended to be friends with girls, and guys with guys, and that was how she explained it to me. We each need someone who understands what we're going through."  
  
I wondered briefly at the sad look on his face, but figured I wouldn't ask him about it. I had to go home, anyway. Karate started at four, and I had to do my chores before then.  
  
"...Listen, I gotta get going," I said, and Gar nodded, that cheerful grin back in place, as if there had never been anything else. Weird.  
  
"Yeah, me too," he said. "I've got to feed Angel."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"The bird," he explained.  
  
"Ah. Well, don't let the little bugger wait too long," I told him. He nodded.  
  
"Of course not! If I do, he'll probably bite my hand again," he said with a giggle. "Well... See ya, dude!"  
  
And then he was off again, jogging lightly down the street as I stared after him again. His insightfulness was... Surprising, to say the least, from someone so annoying... Although, once again, his insightfulness was in itself a major source of annoyance, so I guess it fit.  
  
I chuckled lightly to myself at the thought, even though it was sort of disturbing, and turned to begin walking home.  
  
~*End Chapter Two*~  
  
Author's Notes: Special thanks to Kasen, my new bestest friend, for managing to get me to write this fic, and then making sure that I actually kept at it! ^.^ I wuv you, 'Sen-chan! Oh, and one more thing: I noticed a typo in chapter one. I'd said that it was one month earlier at one point, but then three months in another. That's just because it was originally one month, but I changed it to three later. So, that was meant to be three months. Sorry!  
  
Review responses:  
  
Lady Kasen: ...I already thanked you! . Curses...  
  
Shadow Avenger: Nifty! I feel special! ^.^ I'm glad you like my fic even though it's AU. It's fun to write, so I'm happy that people think it's fun to read, too. Thank you for the nice comments!  
  
Catc10: O.o Er... Fainting is bad, dear... *Gets out the smelling salts* ^.^ Nayways, thankies for the nice review! And please do not go unconscious on me this chapter!  
  
^.^ Well, that's it! R&R, everyone! 


	3. Wednesday: Computers

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 3: Wednesday/Computers  
  
The next day at lunch, Cy and Raven were already at the table when I arrived. Raven was reading as she ate, and Cy... Well, Cy looked like he was trying to viciously maim his pudding with a plastic spoon.  
  
"Either that pudding did something really cruel and unusual to you, or something's wrong," I said as I sat down. He looked up from his poor, tortured dessert, scowling.  
  
"Is it that obvious?" he asked with a sigh. I just nodded, and Raven actually put down her book long enough to shoot him a "duh" look.  
  
"So... You gonna spill, or do I hafta blackmail it out of you?" I asked. I had some pretty good dirt on him, too, so it wasn't exactly an idle threat. He groaned.  
  
"That'd make my day just perfect, y'know that?" he said grumpily. "Ah, oh well... I'm failing history. Again. Man, do you have any idea how much my parents will kill me if I come home with another failing grade? Lemme tell ya, it'll be a massacre. Plus, an F in history means no more football."  
  
Ah, the history issue again. Cy had gone through more tutors for that single subject in his three years at high school than any other member of the football team had in their entire life, and most of the time he just barely got through with a C-. Poor guy.  
  
I sighed. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. I'd help, but you know, I'm not exactly doing so great in history myself. Morris is tough."  
  
Mr. Morris was our history teacher. He was a really tough grader, and he gave tons of homework. And not even, like, worksheets, either. We had a five-page essay due at least once a week. I was generally a straight- A student, but even I could just barely keep a B in his class.  
  
Cy shrugged. "It's okay," he said, and then stared off thoughtfully. "I guess... If I can't pull my grades up by the end of the term, I can always take... Desperate measures..."  
  
My eyes widened slightly as I realized what he was talking about. "Dude... Have you got any idea how much trouble you can get into for that?" I reprimanded incredulously.  
  
"Getting into trouble involves getting caught, man, and I definitely do not intend on getting caught," he said, some pride tingeing the edge of his voice. And I admit, he had reason to be proud. He was good. But he still shouldn't be risking this. "Besides, I'm willing to take the chance if it means I'll live to see college."  
  
"Cy, I know your parents are tough and all, but God... That's *illegal*..." I said, trying to get him to drop this idea before he became too fond of it. "And besides, there's always gonna be a tiny chance that you *will* get caught. Have you even thought about how much more dead you'll be if you get in trouble for *hacking?*"  
  
"Dude! You can hack?"  
  
My eyes widened, and Cy sent a really pissed off look my way. Whirling around, I came face to face with Gar. He and Starfire, who was next to him, must have arrived just in time to hear me announce that Cy was a hacker. Shit.  
  
"Well?" Gar asked again, looking to Cy for confirmation. "Can you hack?"  
  
Cy sighed, nodding an affirmation. He looked pretty pissed. He really hated people finding out about his secret computer geekiness. Hell, if Raven and I hadn't found him building a computer in his garage one day, we wouldn't even have know about it ourselves. We'd laughed at him a little, because it was weird to see such a jock so into computers and stuff, but besides that we'd been pretty supportive of his little secret (though we all agreed it was kind of geeky). So, needless to say, he must have been really surprised when Gar's response was...  
  
"Dude! That is *SO* cool!"  
  
Cy blinked. "What're you talking about?" he asked, irritated, but the pissed off look seemed to have been replaced by doubt.  
  
"C'mon, man, how many people do you know that can do that?" Gar asked excitedly. "I mean... The FBI probably uses people like you on top secret missions and junk!"  
  
Starfire chose this moment to pipe up, cutting off any protests that Cy may have had. "I am confused," she said, looking around for any sort of explanation. "What is 'hacking?'"  
  
"It means he can go into computers and change files around and stuff," Gar supplied, still grinning wildly. "Isn't that so cool?"  
  
"So, you wish to go into a computer and change the file with your grades of history in it?" she asked Cy, who nodded. "But that is wrong! You must *earn* your grades!"  
  
"But it's still cool, right Star?" Gar asked.  
  
Starfire thought for a moment. "If not used for the purposes of evil, then yes, it is very cool," she decided finally.  
  
The three of us were just staring at them in disbelief. Didn't they know that only *nerds* could program and hack into computers and stuff? Where the hell had these guys come from?  
  
Finally, Cy spoke up. "Dude, what are you guys talking about?" he asked incredulously. "I don't know what it's like where you come from, but around here, that depth of computer knowledge is a sure-fire sign of a geek!"  
  
"Yeah, but that's only because most computer nerds don't have the guts to do something like hacking!" Gar told him. "Hacking... Now that's just plain awesome!"  
  
Now, even I was beginning to see that Gar was making a pretty good point, and I actually found myself wondering if, maybe, things weren't so clear-cut as computers defining geeks. Cy, however, didn't look too convinced quite yet. In fact, I'm sure he would have kept arguing if Gar hadn't cut him off.  
  
"So, who taught you?" he asked as he took a big bit out of his apple.  
  
Cy bristled slightly, as if the idea of being taught offended him. "I taught myself, man!" he said defensively. "I bought the books, I did the work, and I learned the stuff, all on my own."  
  
Gar wrinkled his brow and did that head-tilt thing again. "But, dude..." he started. "You could seriously get a killer job with those skills if you took some classes... Y'know, so that you have credits to show to colleges or whatever. Isn't there a computer class or two in this school?"  
  
"I am NOT going to ruin my reputation by taking a computer class!" Cy informed him forcefully. "Besides, I'm in Tech Ed, so I can still do something I like in college, without computers. It doesn't matter."  
  
"But still..." Gar protested. "Books can't teach you everything. I'm sure there's a lot more out there that you could use, even if it is just a pastime..."  
  
"Listen, kid, no is no!" Cy growled, a sort of finality in his voice that even Gar could catch. He dropped the issue, and turned back to his lunch, sullen but thoughtful. That scared me. He did some weird things when he started thinking.  
  
After a few minutes, he got up and left lunch early, with no explanation but the determined look on his face.  
  
~*~  
  
Because it was Wednesday today, all of us had our after-school activities and clubs again: Fencing for me, football for Cy, and swimming for Raven. Afterwards, good timing hooked Raven and me up outside the gym, and we both went to grab Cy for the tortures of football practice, figuring we could leave together and get a pizza or something. Cy was always hungry after his practices (they really took up a ton of energy), so he was only too happy to agree.  
  
However, as soon as we got out the front door of the school, we realized that our chow session would have to wait a little while. Gar was sitting on one of the school benches, chatting amiably with some older guy, probably in his late twenties or so, with blond hair and blue eyes. Starfire was there, too, picking dandelions and weaving them into a wreath.  
  
Gar spotted us quickly, and grinned in our direction, waving his arms. "Hey guys!" he yelled out, catching the attention of Starfire and the older guy. "C'mere! There's someone I want you to meet!"  
  
We looked at each other confusedly for a moment, and then I shrugged and began walking towards them. Cy and Raven followed, though they both seemed kind of ticked. Truth be told, I was too, but I'd already resigned myself to the fact that if I didn't oblige, Gar would hunt me down.  
  
"This is Mr. Thompson!" Gar introduced cheerfully. "He's my next door neighbor. Mr. Thompson, this is Robin, Raven, and Cy."  
  
This Mr. Thompson nodded at each of us, but I noticed that his gaze lingered on Cy a moment longer. Then, he turned back to Gar.  
  
"So, he's the one?" he asked, nodding in Cy's direction.  
  
Gar nodded, his dopey, excited grin still in place. "Yup! He says he's really good, too!"  
  
By now, I was pretty sure I knew what they were talking about, and I think Raven did too, but Cy still seemed confused.  
  
"Uh... Excuse me?" Cy asked, a puzzled look on his face.  
  
Mr. Thompson turned back to him and held out a hand, smiling in a friendly manner. "Pleased to meet you. Garfield has told me quite a bit about your skills."  
  
Gar winced a little at the use of his full name, and Cy just stared blankly. "Skills? What do you mean?"  
  
"I teach a computer class at the Jump University," Thompson explained. "Gar told me that you were quite good, but afraid of losing your popularity from becoming too 'nerdy.' He thought that if you were to take some private lessons with me, then you could keep your reputation and perfect your skills at the same time, and it could even go on your college applications if I vouched for you."  
  
Cy shot a glare at Gar, who just grinned and waved cheerfully. Sighing in exasperation, he looked back to Thompson.  
  
"Look, Mr. Thompson," he began. "It's really nice of you to offer to do this for me and everything, but... I really don't have the time. I'm failing history, and I've got a huge test next week, plus football practice- "  
  
"We can plan sessions around your practice, and as for your problem with history... Well, Garfield told me about that, too," Thompson said, and Gar smiled sheepishly, shooting an apologetic glance at Cy. "You see, my wife is a history teacher, and she runs a tutoring business after school. She's really good, too. I've seen her bring failing students up to honors classes. And... It just so happens that she has an open spot that shouldn't coincide with your football practice. So, if you want, you can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I'll even make the tutoring free, if you agree to the computer classes."  
  
Cy seemed quite surprised by this, and he just nodded blankly. "I... I'll think about it," he managed to mutter out eventually.  
  
Thompson smiled and held out a business card. "Well, give me a call when you decide," he said, before turning to all of us. "Pleased to meet all of you, and thank you for your time. You may now go back to whatever you were doing before I came and started bugging you."  
  
Then he turned and walked away, before hopping into a silver SUV in the parking lot and heading off down Main Street. Gar waved, hopping up and down on the bench and laughing cheerfully long after the car was out of sight.  
  
I sighed and grabbed one of his arms. "Stop it," I told him firmly. "You're making a fool of yourself."  
  
He just laughed at me. "But it's fun being stupid, man!" he told me giddily.  
  
"You shouldn't be butting into other people's lives so much," I scolded him. "It's weird."  
  
A more serious look came to his face, replacing his silly grin with a thoughtful smile. "Maybe I like being weird," he suggested. "And besides..."  
  
He paused here, glancing over to where Starfire was making her dandelion wreaths. I followed his gaze. Raven was there now, as well, inviting Starfire to the pizza place with us as the redhead placed a wreath of the colorful weeds on each of their heads. Strangely enough, Raven didn't protest to this. She actually seemed... Kind of happy.  
  
"...Can you really say I've been wrong so far?" Gar finished softly, smiling at the sight of the two friends.  
  
I sighed in defeat. Even I had to admit, what he'd done for Starfire and Raven had worked out pretty well, and it seemed like the same would happen with Cy. However, I couldn't let him off that easily.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him.  
  
He turned to me, this really creepy, unreadable expression on his face, as if he was looking into my soul and reading it like a book. I shuddered. Thankfully, it was only there for a second, and then his overly cheerful grin was back in place, but his answer to my question was almost as odd as that look had been.  
  
"I'm just giving them what they need."  
  
~*End Chapter Three*~  
  
Author's Notes: Eh... Not too happy with this chapter. Real plot starts in the next chapter, but I warn you: There will be Gar in a dress. ^.^  
  
Reviews:  
  
Shadow Avenger: Ehhh... Thank you for the nice Oprah quoting... O.o And I'm planning on updating daily, so that the story follows real time (Y'know, Monday, Tuesday... Today's chapter is Wednesday... Blah.), just so y'know. ^.^  
  
WereWolfHowl: Unfortunately, Raven doesn't really come in that much more in this story... More Gar-centric after this. ^.^ I gave him a tragic past! Whoo! Go me! (Not that he didn't have one in the actual series... O.o)  
  
R&R, please! ^.^ 


	4. Thursday: Play

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 4: Thursday/Angel  
  
Thursday's lunch and classes thankfully passed without any strange incident, courtesy of Gar. And, silly me, I was actually hoping that maybe I'd get through the day without feeling the need to throttle the little brat.  
  
See, *this* is why I don't ever get my hopes up.  
  
Anyways, school let out as usual, and then we had drama club. Raven had decided to get into it because of her artsiness, and she'd somehow managed to rope Cy and me into it, as well. I couldn't really complain, though. It was pretty fun most of the time, as long as we managed to stay away from Mammoth, Gizmo, and Jinx. Like Raven, Jinx loved drama, and she'd dragged Mammoth and Gizmo with her every session until they were eventually put to work on moving sets around and special effects, respectively.  
  
Today we were supposed to be rehearsing for a play we'd be doing in a couple of weeks. I got to play the night in shining armor, and Cy got to be my lowly apprentice, a fact that I rubbed in his face at every possible moment. Life was good. As for Raven, she was playing the beautiful princess, which was, of course, a pretty laughable role for her, but right then she seemed like she couldn't care less. She was more interested in planning a sleepover with Starfire (who was tagging along with her) for that Saturday night.  
  
Eventually, Mrs. Simmons, the director, a middle-aged and slightly overweight woman with blonde hair, got up on stage and signaled for all of us to be quiet. She cleared her throat loudly, and then started talking.  
  
"Now, as all of you know, the role of the Angel of Judgment has been left open ever since Terra had that... Accident with the lighting fixtures," she began, ignoring the snickers of Mammoth, Jinx, and Gizmo. It was really quite well known that they were behind the "accident," but there was no proof, so they got off scot-free. "But I've got good news! We've finally found a replacement! Garfield Logan!"  
  
There was a lot of whispering at this, and I found myself slightly perturbed, as well. While it had never exactly been said that the Angel *had* to be female, there was still something wrong about a guy filling in for a girl in a play. Especially considering just who the guy *was*: The most annoying kid in school, as of Monday. There was no way he could fill such a serious role. I definitely saw him as more of a "comic relief" type than as an angel.  
  
"Right now, he's backstage, making sizing adjustments to his costume," Simmons continued, and I raised my eyebrow. He sewed, too? What was *up* with this kid? "So, I guess we'll have to start without them. He said he'd be done in time for his scene, though, so don't worry."  
  
Quite frankly, I couldn't have cared less whether he was done in time or not, but I supposed that didn't matter. Within a few moments, I was up on stage, shouting off my lines, crossing swords with the powerful sorceress Jinx (they'd decided that her name was good enough for a witch, and left it alone), and trying to save the beautiful princess Azarath (formerly known as Raven). It was awesome, especially with me getting to order Cy around ("More ale, boy!").  
  
Then came the big finish. My character was supposed to use the purity of his heart, or some other crap like that, to summon the Angel of Judgment, who would damn Jinx to eternal imprisonment in a flaming underworld. It was actually a pretty good plot, if you ignored the whole "Power of good" theme.  
  
Holding my hand up into the air, I began throwing out more lines as Jinx glared up at me from where she'd fallen to the floor in our fight scene. "I call upon the powers of light resting within my soul!" I yelled out, silently laughing at myself for the ridiculous lines. "Bring forth the Angel!"  
  
That, of course, was Gar's cue. Now, I was expecting him to come skipping onto the stage, wearing that ridiculous, dress-like robe that Terra had designed for herself when she was still playing the Angel. Then, he would stumble through his lines, mess everyone up, and then pretend like nothing had happened when it was all over.  
  
I *really* hated it when he surprised me...  
  
First of all, he strode—not skipped—onto the stage, back perfectly straight as he moved gracefully towards me. Hell, he practically *glided*. His costume, which I had described before as dress-like, somehow seemed... Elegant, instead of girly, on his body, flowing around him as if moving by an invisible wind. The look on his face was more terrifying than anything I've ever seen Mammoth produce, like he knew every sin I'd ever committed, and held no mercy whatsoever for them. It wasn't angry, or superior, just... Knowing, and ruthless.  
  
Now, I was already pretty freaked by that look in his eyes. Hell, I was going through every sin I had ever committed (lying to my mom about how her rosebush got trampled, cheating on that spelling quiz back in third grade, borrowing some book of Raven's without asking, etc), and my God, every one of them seemed like a murder now. But then...  
  
He started *talking*.  
  
"Foolish human, you dare to call me to this mortal world, made of the dust that you were born from, ready to command me?" he demanded in a deep, flowing voice that made me think he really *was* an angel of judgment, and that I was going straight to hell. "I hope, for your sake, that this is not true. If it is, punishment shall be swift and deadly. I am not yours to command, nor shall I ever be, for as long as you remain a child of dust: No better than the creatures that you murder for your meal, the land that you destroy for your homes. Beware me; I am no angel of mercy."  
  
I hesitated for a moment, trying desperately to remember what I was supposed to do now. Thankfully, the lines came back to me rather quickly, and I dropped to my knee, placing my sword on the stage floor in front of me.  
  
"Honorable Angel," I began, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I am truly not worthy of your presence, but I fear that a creature of darkness has escaped its chains, and it has taken from her home the princess Azarath—Daughter of a human and an Angel, one of your own! Please, save this world from this creature's darkness!"  
  
I risked a glance up, and saw that Gar had now turned his wrath unto Jinx, who looked about ready to wet herself (though I supposed I must have looked the same way a few moments ago). He started speaking again.  
  
"Spawn of Demons," he addressed her, his voice tinted with disgust. "You have been allowed life long enough. You have sold your soul to the Devil, this is true, and the moment you die it shall be sent to him, and you shall become his eternal servant. But death is not necessary now. Be banished to the world of flames, and roast for all eternity—Eternal life in eternal pain!"  
  
Jinx began begging for mercy, but Gar just turned and strode off stage as two other "angels" came and hauled her off, supposedly to burn in hell. I picked up my sword, fought off Jinx's remaining minions, rescued the princess, and then it was over.  
  
As I was walking off stage to go get changed, Gar bounced up to me, still in his dress, and began chirping about how awesome I'd been, and asking if he'd done okay.  
  
I ignored him.  
  
~*~  
  
After I got changed, Simmons asked me to help her carry a few buckets of paint onto the set, saying that she had to paint some scenery. She didn't really trust Mammoth, who was supposed to be in charge of stuff like this, so she didn't like making him stay any later than necessary and instead recruited me, "that nice Grayson boy," into helping her after hours. Not that I blamed her. I would like to be left alone with Mammoth after school, with no one around to hear you scream...  
  
So, anyways, Raven, Cy, and Starfire all left to go to the ice cream parlor, and Gar went off to... Do whatever it is he does after school. Probably screwing around in more people's lives. I told Raven and Cy that I'd meet them at the parlor as soon as I was done, and they promised to save me a seat.  
  
The entire job was done in about five minutes (there were only about eight buckets, but Simmons is a weakling, so...), and I decided for some reason to go out through the back door, by the cafeteria. I never took that door. But I guess that bastard Fate had decided to mess around with me that day.  
  
So, I walked out the back door, all set to head down to the parlor, when a muffled yelp caught my attention. I whirled around, and my eyes widened behind my sunglasses. Over by the cafeteria, in a pretty secluded area between a wall and a dumpster, was Mammoth, Jinx, Gizmo...  
  
And Gar.  
  
Although, he didn't much look like he wanted to be there, and the fact that Mammoth had him pinned by his throat against the brick wall just helped to confirm that idea. Now, for some reason the tiny detail that I more or less hated this kid seemed to escape me when I saw him like that, and, before I even knew what I was doing, I was running towards them, anger clouding my vision.  
  
"Hey!" I yelled out as I got closer, fists clenched in suppressed rage. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Let him go, *now*!"  
  
Gar's eyes, which had been so filled with fear, immediately brightened up with hope. Mammoth, however, just laughed, tightening his grip to coax another pained whimper out of Gar, and Jinx glared at me.  
  
"We've still got a score to finish from Monday," she told me coldly.  
  
"I thought you decided he wasn't worth it!" I reminded her angrily. "Remember? It was just a bird!"  
  
This time, the little twerp, Gizmo, spoke up. "Dude, if you think I'm gonna let some... *Faggot* get out of a beating scot-free, then you're *very* mistaken!"  
  
My eyes widened. "So this is just... Gay bashing?" I asked incredulously. Even *I* didn't think that they would stoop quite this low...  
  
Jinx huffed. "We've gotta have some priorities," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We can't just let some fucking fag get away with beating up on Gizmo."  
  
"And what, exactly are you basing this assumption on?!" I demanded, enraged. "The fact that he took Terra's part?! That was the only role left!"  
  
"Still, he didn't have to take it!" Jinx shot back, equally pissed. Gizmo nodded supportively beside her.  
  
"Yeah! And dude, he was in a *dress*!" he pitched in.  
  
"It wasn't even a sexually defined role!" I pointed out. "Did you even bother to *ask* him if he was gay?"  
  
Jinx scowled, but turned to Gar. "Well?" she asked. "Are you?"  
  
Mammoth loosened his grip just enough to let Gar speak, and, as he caught his breath, I prayed to any and all gods that would listen that, even if he was gay, he'd have the sense to deny it.  
  
Finally, he spoke, glaring up at Mammoth slightly. "Of course not!" he said, and I felt relief flood through me, until...  
  
"I'm *bi*!"  
  
...Oh, *fuck*...  
  
Before I could even react, Mammoth had pulled back his massive fist and pounded Gar, right in the stomach. The poor kid's eyes widened in pain, and he began coughing furiously. At first, I thought that he had just had the wind knocked out of him or something, but then I heard Jinx scream.  
  
"Holy shit, Mammoth, just how hard did you hit him?!" she shrieked, and then I saw it. Blood was dripping from one corner of Gar's mouth as he coughed, and Mammoth was just staring in shock.  
  
Gizmo looked pretty freaked, too, and he yelled out, "Let's get outta here!" The other two seemed to agree, and, as soon as Mammoth dropped his victim to the ground, they were gone. Fucking cowards. I'd get them later.  
  
Right now, however, Gar needed help. He was still coughing, one hand covering his mouth to hide the blood. I ran over to him, seriously freaked out, and tried to help him up. He just brushed me off.  
  
"I'm fine," he told me weakly, attempting a grin. It just didn't look right with blood staining his teeth. "This has happened before. I just need to get home."  
  
"Gar, what are you talking about?" I demanded. "This is serious! You're coughing up blood, for Christ's sake!"  
  
He just smiled up at me sadly, eyes clouded over. "I'm sick, Robin," he confessed to me. "This stuff happens to me all the time... Internal bleeding, and all that other fun stuff. The jolt just kinda... Forced some of the blood up. It's really no big deal. It usually heals up on its own really fast."  
  
Whoa... That one was a shock...  
  
I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't quite grasp what he was telling me. Someone so annoyingly happy all the time couldn't be that sick. But then again, there was no denying the blood on his hands... What the hell was going on?  
  
"You could've just said you were straight," I told him, deciding to push my confusion aside for the time being. "They might not have hit you then."  
  
Gar grimaced. "I'm not gonna deny myself just because they can't accept it," he told me. "That... That's just low, man."  
  
I sighed. I hated it when he made sense. "All right," I conceded. "I'll drop it. Let's just get you home."  
  
That said, I scooped him up into my arms, carrying him like a baby. He was as light as he looked. Hell, I think one of those paint cans might have weighed more than he did. The words "I'm sick," which had been said so casually, seemed to echo through my head when I though that, and I realized that his sickness was probably to blame for his weight... Or rather, lack thereof.  
  
He looked up at me in surprise. "I can still walk, y'know," he said dryly, and I scowled. Now that I thought of it, why *was* I carrying him? Considering what I'd just found out about his sexuality, it should have been... Weird or awkward or something. But it really didn't. It actually felt... Kind of right. I felt like I had to protect him for some reason. There was just something about him that played with my emotions, making me want to punch him one moment and hug him the next.  
  
But I didn't tell him any of that. Instead, I told him very simply, "No, you can't," and he conceded with a sigh, wrapping his arms around my neck and resting his head on my shoulder. Once again, something that should have made me uncomfortable, but didn't.  
  
So, I walked down Main Street with him nestled in my arms, ignoring the stares of passersby. After a few minutes, he told me to stop, and he hopped out of my arms. We were in front of this little house with blue shutters and a white picket fence, which he announced as his new home. He thanked me for the "ride home," and then disappeared inside the blue door.  
  
As I turned to leave, one thought floated through my mind:  
  
Just what else was this kid hiding?  
  
~*End Chapter Four*~  
  
A/N: Well, there ya have it... Gar's out of the closet! ^.^ Ehhh... Anyway, not much else to say. R&R, please!  
  
Reviews:  
  
Cheerful Oblivious: *Holds up a sign saying, "Thanks, dude!!! Lotsa love, ~Necchan."* ^.^ Seriously, though... Fainting is BAD... . 


	5. Friday: Sick

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 5: Friday/Sick  
  
Gar wasn't in school the next day. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. I mean, he'd been coughing up *blood*, and I'm sure he wasn't exactly eager to face the trio again any time soon. Plus, they'd told pretty much the entire school about his sexuality. But still...  
  
I was disappointed.  
  
Weird, isn't it? Just yesterday, I'd have sold my soul to have him not show up to torment me for a day, but today... I just needed to know that he was okay.  
  
And that was how I ended up blowing off yoga after school to jog down the now-familiar Main Street to the little house with the white picket fence that I'd seen for the first time just yesterday. I took a moment to catch my breath, then opened the little gate on the fence and walked up to the door.  
  
I rang the doorbell, and this motherly looking woman in her mid- forties or so came to greet me. I smiled my best "I'm a nice polite little boy" smile.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Logan," I said courteously, still smiling. "My name is Robin Grayson. I'm a friend of Gar's from school, and I noticed he wasn't in school today, so I stopped by to see how he's doing."  
  
She seemed slightly surprised, but happy, nonetheless. "My, Gar didn't mention he'd made any good friends already," she said, pleased. "Of course you may visit him! He's just a bit sick today—tummy ache, poor dear—but he should be well enough for visitors. He's in his room, just down the hall on the right. Oh, and would you take off your shoes, please, dear? Thank you."  
  
She bustled off to go bake cookies or whatever, and I took of my shoes and headed down the hall. There was still a lot of stuff in boxes, but there were pictures of beaches and seashells on the walls already. I could tell that it would be very homey, once everything was in its place.  
  
One of the doors to the right, Gar's room, had one of those silly nameplates on the door; the kind that most kids grew out of when they were, like, eight. Oh well. At least I knew which was his.  
  
I knocked, and a singsong "Come iiin!" answered. I sighed. God, how the hell had I missed that he was gay?  
  
I opened the door. Like the rest of the house, most of the stuff in this room was still in boxes, except for a few pictures, and... A massive pile of stuffed animals. I raised my eyebrow at this, before shaking it off and turning to the bed.  
  
Gar was sitting there, propped up against a huge heap of pillows. In his lap was that little fluff ball of a bird, Angel, from a few days ago. It was chirping hungrily as Gar dropped little bits of some sort of bird food into its open mouth. He looked up from his task as I walked over, sitting myself at the foot of his bed. He grinned.  
  
"Hey!" he said happily, and I wondered just how sick he really was. I still hadn't completely abandoned the idea of him faking it. "Wasn't expecting to see you any time soon... Come to see the baby?"  
  
I raised my eyebrow. "Okay, I give up. What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
He just giggled and held the bird out to me. It stared up at me, then started chirping happily, trying to flutter out of Gar's grip. Confused, I took it from him gently, casting him a questioning glance.  
  
"Birds make impressions of the first living thing they see, and that becomes their mommy," he explained. "I was the first thing, but he saw you right afterwards, 'cause you were with me, so I guess he has a bit of an impression of you, too." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, then grinned widely. "So, that makes you the daddy!"  
  
I blanched, and then blushed wildly, coughing lightly from discomfort. "So, uh..." I started, grasping for conversation topics that didn't involve the two of us having a child. "What kind of a bird is this, anyway?"  
  
He grinned excitedly. "Gold Eagle!" he said in his chirping little voice. Actually, when I thought about it, he sounded kind of like Angel, himself. "Isn't that so nifty?"  
  
I nodded, staring at the little ball of gray fluff in my hands. Quite frankly, I couldn't see that little thing as an eagle, but, if he insisted... "Yeah, that's cool," I said, and he smiled.  
  
"You didn't come here to see Angel, though," he told me, that insightful, I-can-see-your-soul look on his face again. I sighed and nodded. "So, what do you want, then?"  
  
"Well..." I hesitated, not sure quite how to phrase this gently. Eventually, however, I decided to screw gently. He could take it. "What is *wrong* with you?"  
  
He blinked in surprise, and then laughed. "God only knows," he said cheerfully, but with a sad sort of look on his face. "I've been sick for *years*... It's completely un-contagious, so you don't hafta worry about picking it up from being here or anything. I'm one of, like, four people in medical history who's ever gotten it, and all of the others died before they were old enough to drink. There's... No known cure."  
  
I stared at him in shock. Hadn't he just said yesterday that it was no big deal? Since when did "terminal" mean no big deal?  
  
I was jolted from my thoughts by Gar's soft chuckling before he continued. "I must have gone through about a dozen hospitals in the past two or three years," he said nostalgically. "You remember that girl I told you about, Katy? The one who was into psychology? My best friend at the hospital in Philly. Terminal, with AIDS. She died a couple weeks after I left. I really wish I could have been there for her up until the end, but my parents refused to accept that there was nothing they could do for me at any hospital, so they just moved me around as much as possible. As soon as it was evident that one place couldn't help me, we packed up and went to another."  
  
"You... You talk about this so casually," I said softly after a long moment of silence. "Like it happens every day..."  
  
"For me, it pretty much did," he told me, and, at my surprised look, continued. "LA, I had Tommy, this cute little kid, about eight or so. Died of a brain tumor about a week before I left. Tampa was Matt, eighteen years old, dead the day I left from pancreatic cancer. In my hometown, I had Lauren, fourteen years old, not dead yet, but she's getting there. And in Atlanta... There was Michael."  
  
This really sad look crossed his face at this point, and I almost dropped the issue. Unfortunately, curiosity chose that moment to rear its ugly head, and I found myself asking, "What happened to Michael?"  
  
Gar giggled, but it was a really sad, depressed sort of giggle. Not at all like his usual ringing little laughs. "Michael was my *idol*," he told me, smiling nostalgically. "He was about nineteen, and I was... Fourteen, I think. He was bi, like me, and he was the one to help realize my sexuality. Not in an... Impure way, of course. He just kinda told me what it was like to be bi, and I figured out that I was, too, from his description. He was going to college for philosophy, and psychology, like Katy, and he taught me pretty much everything I know about how the human mind works. He was... Like a big brother to me. I loved him."  
  
He sighed, tears in his eyes, and continued. "He had AIDS, though, and by the time I got to the hospital, he was pretty much on the verge of death. We hung out for a couple of weeks, and then... He died one night. I was there with him, too. I held his hand and watched him fade away."  
  
"Holy shit..." I muttered under my breath. "How the hell do you stay so cheerful all the time?"  
  
He giggled, sniffling and wiping tears from his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna get to see them again soon, aren't I?"  
  
I stared at him. There was just something... *Wrong* about someone talking about his own death like he was just waiting patiently for it.  
  
I don't know what made me do it, but I found myself whispering a soft, "Don't talk like that... There's still hope..." under my breath, reaching out and grabbing his hand for comfort. Whether that comfort was for me or for him I don't know.  
  
He just stared up at me with those huge green eyes that were so innocent and so omniscient at the same time, squeezing my hand lightly for reassurance. "Yeah..." he agreed. "There's always hope. Humans... All of us... We need hope to live each day. Without hope... There's nothing."  
  
There it was again. His fixation on people's needs. "Why do you care so much about what people need?" I asked him. It had been bugging me for so long, and it felt good to finally be able to make an attempt at figuring it out.  
  
He thought a moment, staring off into space, before answering. "Well, it's like this, I guess..." he began slowly, as if he was thinking about every word he said carefully. "I've seen some people who had everything they could possibly want, and they weren't happy at all. They don't realize that, sometimes, what you want and what you need aren't the same thing. I mean, take Cy, for example. He was wicked opposed to that whole computer thing, but it was something that made him happy. He needs computers. They're part of his life, and no amount of denial is gonna change that. I just... Wanted to help him realize that. I like it when people are happy."  
  
I nodded. Damn. He was so annoying because he wanted people to be *happy?* That's... Kind of weird.  
  
We sat in silence for a few more minutes, each of us left to our own thoughts. Gar had taken back Angel at some point during our conversation (I hadn't even noticed...), and was busy feeding him. He was smiling and cooing at the little fluffer, as if he hadn't just revealed some of his deepest, darkest secrets to me a second ago.  
  
Finally, I sighed and stood up. "I gotta get going," I told him. "Thanks... For telling me all this."  
  
He smiled up at me, cheerful as always. "No prob! Thanks for listening!" he said. "Feel free to stop by any time... I'm sure Angel would appreciate it."  
  
I laughed, giving the little eagle chick a pat on the head before turning and walking to the door. Once there, however, I hesitated, my hand on the knob. There was just one more thing bugging me...  
  
"Gar?" I asked uncertainly, turning to face him once more.  
  
"Hm?" he asked, still feeding his little pet.  
  
I paused a second, then decided to go for it. "If... If you've been trying to give us each what we need..." I began, still hesitant about what I was about to ask. "Then... What do I need?"  
  
He looked up from his task, staring at me with those amazing eyes. He sighed. "Quite frankly..." he started, stroking his pet gently as it chirped for more food. "I don't know what you need. I've never met anyone like you before, Robin. I'm looking forward to finding out more about you, and then... Maybe I can help you."  
  
I nodded, turning and walking out the door, then out of the house with the blue shutters and white picket fence. It was only then, when I was sure he wasn't near enough to read my mind or whatever it was that he did when he got that look on his face, that I admitted something to myself.  
  
'I'm looking forward to it, too...'  
  
~*End Chapter Five*~  
  
Author's Notes: Well, there ya have it. Bit o' acceptance and all that jazz... Anyways, next chapter will have wicked amounts of slash. ^.^ Much fun! R&R!  
  
Reviews:  
  
Starre: Hey, thanks man! I think Gar's cool too... I love writing his character. ^.^ I'll be sure to check out those fics you mentioned. You ever read "The Body of Christopher Creed" by Carol Plum-Ucci (or any other books by her)? It's killer. Go read it. ^.^ 


	6. Saturday: Need

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 6: Saturday/Need  
  
The next day was Saturday, which meant no school, thank God. My parents we out on a business trip for the weekend, so, being an only child, I had the whole house to myself, too. Life was good.  
  
...Well, at least it would have been if it hadn't been for a certain terminally ill sixteen-year-old who kept invading my thoughts...  
  
So, anyway, I'd spent the first half of the day worrying about whether or not he was okay, semi-afraid that he just hadn't woken up this morning or something. Finally, I managed to convince myself that he hadn't been *that* sick yesterday. Unfortunately, as soon as I'd decided that yes, he was still alive, I remembered that he was still sick, and began feeling an odd urge to make him some homemade chicken soup, or some other junk like that.  
  
What was wrong with me...?  
  
Eventually, I decided that I was just suffering from pent up energy that had converted itself to worry, so I went out back around noon. We had this killer training area in back, with dummies for punching bags and a few obstacle courses. It was really cool.  
  
I always had the time of my life out on the obstacle course, but that day... My heart just wasn't in it. It was somewhere else. God help me...  
  
It was with Gar.  
  
Nevertheless, I got a few good hours of training in. The exercise did help me take my mind off of Gar, at least for a little while, but the second I stopped (nearly five hours later...), he was back. I just couldn't keep him away.  
  
Anyways, it was already about 5 o'clock when I finished, so I decided to make dinner. Macaroni and cheese. The kind from a box, not that homemade crap. I went up and took a shower while it cooked, getting rid of all the sweat and dirt from my training, and got back to the kitchen just in time to take it off the stove. Oh yeah, I'm good.  
  
I grabbed my big bowl of mac and cheese, along with a glass of Coke, and sat down on our big, squishy couch in the living room. I loved that couch. I really did. It was old, and some of the fabric was torn, but it was so comfy. My mom had tried to get rid of it once; I'd threatened to sell all her shoes to a pawnshop if she did. Needless to say, she gave in quickly.  
  
So, I was sitting on my nice comfy couch, eating my macaroni and cheese and staring blankly at the TV. I really couldn't figure out this whole Gar thing... I just couldn't get my mind off of him. It was almost like...  
  
Ah, hell.  
  
It was like I had a crush on the little weirdo.  
  
Now, before that realization hit me, I'd never once questioned my sexuality. I'd always been into girls. Hell, I'd even had a wet dream or two about Raven. I'd never wanted to be with a guy. Not once. But then again...  
  
'...Sometimes, what you want and what you need aren't the same thing...'  
  
Shit.  
  
Holy fucking shit.  
  
I groaned and buried my face in a pillow. I had a crush on him. I could practically see the headlines in the gossip section of the school paper: "Robin Grayson, in Love with Local Cross Dresser Gar Logan." Just... Wonderful.  
  
My life was going to hell.  
  
~*~  
  
I was getting ready for bed around 10 o'clock that night when I heard a knock on the door. I was in my nightclothes at the time, this really nice set of flannel pajamas with penguins on them (dorky, I know, but they're comfy as hell), and I was brushing my teeth, but I figured it was probably just a delivery truck or something and I didn't bother even setting down my toothbrush. I just walked into the foyer, my toothbrush sticking out of my mouth, and opened up the door.  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
Standing there, holding a sleeping bag in his arms and carrying a backpack on his back, was Gar. He glanced amusedly at my pajamas, then, with that cheerful grin of his in place, asked, "May I come in?"  
  
I just nodded and stood to the side, letting him enter. As soon as he was inside, I shut the door behind him.  
  
I tried to ask him what he was doing here, but it came out as, "Mma ah ooim ee?" He giggled.  
  
"Go spit," he told me, and I ran to obey.  
  
When I came back a few moments later, toothbrush-free and minty fresh, Gar was unrolling his sleeping bag onto my couch. I raised my eyebrow.  
  
"What exactly are you doing?" I asked him, and he looked up at me sheepishly.  
  
"I'm crashing here for the night," he told me. I blinked.  
  
"Do I get a say in this?" I asked him, and he shuffled his feet nervously.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "But I really don't have a choice. I can't stay home, and I've got nowhere else to go. Please... I really need to stay here. I'll be gone by tomorrow morning."  
  
"You know I'm gonna need more of an explanation that that," I told him chidingly, and he sighed. He grabbed his backpack and opened it, taking out first Angel's shoebox (I knew it was his because someone had written "Angel" on the top in big, loopy letters with wings on the sides), then a piece of paper.  
  
He held the paper out to me. "Read this," he instructed me, and I took it.  
  
'We don't need freaks like you in our town. Leave, or we'll take you out.'  
  
That was it. No address, no signature, just... A threat. I sat down.  
  
"Jesus, Gar," I breathed, and he sat down beside me, biting his lip. I noticed that he had fangs, but brushed it off. That wasn't important right then. "Do you know who sent this to you?"  
  
"No, but I've got a good guess," he said dryly, and I realized who was most likely to have done something like this. The trio.  
  
"So, you're just gonna give in, then?" I asked, a bit of anger edging my voice as I realized why he had said he'd be gone by morning. "Gar, you could go to the police or something... They can't do this to you..."  
  
He just shook his head. "I don't wanna cause any more trouble than I already had..." he said softly. "Besides... I can't stay here anyway."  
  
"Why not?" I asked, surprised.  
  
His eyes were filled with tears, and he sniffled slightly before continuing. "I haven't got much longer, Robin," he confessed. "The doctors say I won't last more than two or three months... And my parents have finally given up. They aren't gonna take me to any more hospitals, but... I can't die here. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice town and all, but... It's not *home*... I... I've gotta get home. Lauren's not dead yet, but I wanna be there for her when she does die. There's nothing for me here, except for a stupid research lab that can't do anything to help me anyway. It's just... This town is killing me, Robin..."  
  
His words were interrupted by a soft sob here, and I felt my heart breaking. That weird, protective feeling was surging up in my heart again, and before I knew it, my arms were around him, rubbing his back gently as he cried. He nestled his head on my chest, clinging lightly at my penguin pajamas, and let me comfort him.  
  
Now, I'd had a few crushes before, but... They had never been anything like *this*. There had never been this warmth in my chest, or this feeling of rightness that came from holding him close. This was pure, and unselfish, and beautiful, and, I realized with a start...  
  
It was love.  
  
In the course of a few days, he had gone from a stranger, to an acquaintance, to an annoyance, to a friend, to a crush, and now... He was my love. My soul mate. The idea was odd, and frightening, and it would have been so much easier to just deny it, let him leave, pretend he'd never existed, but...  
  
That wasn't what I wanted anymore.  
  
All I wanted... Was him...  
  
Softly, hesitantly, I kissed his hair, watching as he looked up at me in surprise. "R... Robin...?" he whispered hoarsely, his throat probably sore from crying. I smiled down at him, pressing kisses against his forehead, his cheeks, his nose... Anywhere I could reach. Eventually, he started to respond, wrapping his arms around my neck and closing his eyes in bliss.  
  
Gently, carefully, I leaned him backwards onto the soft cushions of the couch, covered by his sleeping bag, so that he was lying down and I was straddling his hips. I tugged his shirt off over his head, admiring the pale skin and now ruffled brown and green hair. Now, I'd said before that I'd never been attracted to guys before, but seeing him beneath me, shirtless, with those gorgeous green eyes staring up at me, half-lidded and clouded with pleasure... I'd never seen any girl even come close to being as beautiful as he was.  
  
I leaned forward a little, nuzzling at his neck. "Gar..." I whispered softly, lovingly as I kissed along his jaw line. "You said that you wanted to give me what I needed, right...?"  
  
I began kissing at his throat and neck, reveling in the pleasured whimpers that I was coaxing from his mouth as he nodded. I found this one spot, just below his ear, that made him moan and roll his hips up against mine when my lips touched it, and I sucked on it gently. He squirmed beneath me, whimpering softly. I grinned, noting that spot for later uses, and moved slowly upwards to look him in the eyes, placing kisses on the soft skin at random as I went. His beautiful emerald eyes were no longer so omniscient—They'd been clouded with passion and want. My God, that turned me on.  
  
I leaned in closer, licking teasingly at his lower lip. "I figured out what I need," I told him in a low, husky whisper. He just stared upwards, questioning me, though I was sure he already knew the answer. "I need... You..."  
  
And with that, I closed the distance between our lips, kissing him with all of the love and passion that I could muster. He returned in kind, opening his mouth in invitation, which I gladly accepted. He moaned into my mouth, and wrapped a leg loosely around my waist, pressing our hips together as his hands tangled in my hair...  
  
That night was the most perfect, amazing night of my entire life. The warmth of his bare skin against mine, the softness of his lips, our whispered "I love you"s in the peak of our heated passion... It was heaven, pure and simple.  
  
I'd finally gotten what I needed.  
  
~*End Chapter 6*~  
  
A/N: ... *Cough embarrassedly* Er... Bit of citrus there at the end... Uh... Enjoy? ^.^;;;  
  
Reviews:  
  
Rebekah: ^.^ I totally agree! They aren't a real couple in this though... Just a hinted one... So if you're looking for much more in that area, sorry.  
  
Starre: Actually, I really can't tell you... I dunno myself... ^.^ Next chapter's the last, then a *possible* epilogue which would wrap everything up, but... I might just leave it as is after next chapter. Well, I'm glad you liked last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!  
  
Bobby: Damn straight he needs him! ...Well, not damn *straight* I suppose, but... You get the picture. Eh... Not much else I can say. Sorry. ^.^;;; Thank you for the nice review!  
  
R&R, please! There's only one more chapter and *maybe* an epilogue to go! 


	7. Sunday: Escape

What You Need By Margarita Neko  
  
Chapter 7: Sunday/Escape  
  
When I woke up, Gar's place on the bed was cold.  
  
I shot up immediately, terrified that he might have left to go... Wherever it was that he was planning on going. Thankfully, he was just sitting on the floor by the window, fully clothed and peering out through the blinds. He glanced over at my sudden movement, and I sighed in relief.  
  
"I thought you were gone," I confessed as he walked back over to the couch. "What time is it?"  
  
"About four in the morning," he said, glancing to the window nervously. That disturbed me.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked softly, and he sighed.  
  
"They found me," he said dejectedly. "I've gotta get out of here, dude, and soon. I mean, I've heard stories about people like them from Michael. They're likely to *lynch* me if I don't get out."  
  
"What do you mean, they found you?" I asked, stunned. Somehow, this wasn't exactly the way I pictured my first "morning after."  
  
"I mean, we didn't close the blinds last night," he explained, regret and bitterness in his voice. "I woke up, and that freak Mammoth was staring right at us from the street. God, how could I have been so stupid...?"  
  
He buried his face in his hands, and I heard him sniffling a little. I moved to wrap my arms around him, to comfort him, but he fought me off, shaking his head and trembling slightly.  
  
"No... No, they're still outside, Mammoth must've called them all together, they could see you do that," he said in a rushed whisper. "Listen, you have to stay here. I don't. Don't give them any incentive to start after you, too. They already saw us through the window, yeah, but as long as you don't act like it was anything special at all... If you can just pretend that it was just one night of sex, that I manipulated you into doing it, you'll be fine. So please, *please*... Just stay away from me..."  
  
It hurt to hear him say that, but I managed to nod an agreement through my shock. The fact that he was actually encouraging me to deny something like this, the most important night of my entire adolescent life, even after what he'd said just Thursday about the shame of lying just because someone else can't accept it... That freaked me out. It showed me just how scared he really was.  
  
He chewed on his thumb, staring off into space. "I've gotta get to the train station," he muttered under his breath, thinking aloud, apparently. "But if I step one foot outside, it's lights out for me... Shit..."  
  
"My... My parents left one of their cars here when they left..." I offered hesitantly. "We could take that if you want. The garage is attached to the mudroom, so we wouldn't actually have to go outside..."  
  
His eyes brightened. "That's perfect!" he exclaimed, that beautiful grin of his back for a moment, before faltering slightly as he asked, "Can you drive...?"  
  
~*~  
  
"WE'RE GONNA DIIIEEE!" Gar screamed from beside me as I tore down the street. He was so encouraging, really...  
  
"We're not gonna die, Gar!" I yelled at him angrily. God. So what if I'd failed my driver's test? I wasn't *that* bad, and besides, we were in a rush.  
  
"Turn right turn right turn right!" he commanded, near hysterics and clutching the dashboard like a lifeline.  
  
I turned the wheel right sharply, not bothering to slow down, and Gar screamed as he was pushed up against his door. "Stop complaining!" I told him. "You're the one who needed to get to the train station! And there's no one on the road at four A.M. anyway!"  
  
"I'm not gonna live to see Lauren again!" he wailed, and I reached over to knock him lightly upside the head, causing the car to swerve slightly as I tried to steer with one hand. Needless to say, he just screamed louder.  
  
A few moments and very many screams later, I screeched to a halt outside the train station. I hopped out of the car and, being the gentleman that I was, I even opened the door for Gar and helped him out. He was shivering badly. I wondered if he had a jacket in that backpack of his...  
  
I supported him as we walked over into the terminal and towards the ticket counter. He asked for a one-way ticket to Gotham, explaining to me when the ticket-lady's back was turned that right now he just needed to get out of town. He'd get his real tickets home in Gotham. Besides, he couldn't have me knowing where he was going, exactly.  
  
He paid for his ticket, and then we made our way to platform 10. The train was leaving in less than five minutes, so we had to hurry.  
  
Unfortunately, Fate was deciding to annoy me again.  
  
"Well, well, well," came a taunting voice from the shadows to our right. Gar and me came to an abrupt halt. Blocking our path with his huge bulk was Mammoth, and from the sound of it, Gizmo was to the right. I guessed that Jinx was behind us, and, with the tracks to our left, we were effectively boxed in. I realized that they must have followed us, and then snuck ahead while Gar was buying his ticket. They picked a perfect spot too; this area was completely abandoned.  
  
Gizmo stepped up to us, trying his best to look menacing and smug despite his small stature. "Hey there, faggots," he said with an evil grin, and I growled.  
  
"Listen, he's leaving like you told him to," I told them angrily. "Now if you'll excuse us, he's got a train to catch."  
  
"Ah, ah, ah..." came Jinx's voice from behind us. "We gave him that note yesterday. He didn't get out fast enough. And besides, from what Mammoth tells us... You've joined the dark side yourself, Grayson."  
  
"Mammoth was mistaken," Gar stated defiantly beside me before I could say anything otherwise. "I got him into bed with me, yeah, but it was just a one-night stand, experimental kinda thing. He's straight."  
  
I shot him a hurt look, but he ignored it. He was too busy trying to stare down Mammoth. He was thinking again, I could tell; he had this weird calculating look on his face. I cursed silently. He did really stupid stuff when he tried to think.  
  
What he did, however, was stupider than even *I* thought he was capable of.  
  
He hurled himself at Mammoth.  
  
I choked back a scream of horror as Gar, MY Gar, was sent hurtling into a wall. He gave out a muffled yelp, and then sank to the floor and was still.  
  
"GAR!" I yelled out, starting to run towards him, but that bastard Mammoth blocked my path.  
  
"You ain't goin' nowhere," he said in that pathetically primitive, growling voice of his. I just glared.  
  
"Watch me!"  
  
With that, I used every skill I'd ever learned in my nine years of karate practice, six of yoga, and four of fencing, fighting like a man possessed against this... This *hellion* who had just hurt my love... My extremely stupid love, but my love nonetheless.  
  
Now, he was big and strong, so he had endurance, but I was faster, and I had more skill. I dodged every punch he threw at me, returning with two more until he was roaring in frustration. After a few moments of this, I swept down and kicked is feet out from under him, then went back to the old fashioned methods: Pummeling his ugly face bloody.  
  
Jinx was on me in a second, screaming in rage, but she wasn't nearly as big a threat as Mammoth, and I managed to fight her to the ground in an instant. As soon as she was taken care of, I turned back to Mammoth, ready to continue my beating.  
  
Or at least, I would have been, if not for the little brat.  
  
"Dudes, the fag's gone!" he yelled from his spot safely to the side of the fighting grounds. Surprised, I looked up, and Mammoth took the opportunity to launch a punch right at my face. Pain exploded across my cheek, and I could tell that I'd have one hell of a black eye the next day.  
  
But I didn't care.  
  
Gizmo was right. He was gone.  
  
I stood up in a flash, bolting down the empty tunnel to the platform. By the time I got there, the train was just closing its doors, getting ready to pull away. I began pounding on doors, screaming at the top of my lungs for Gar, for the doors to open, for *anything* that would bring him back to me.  
  
It was no use. The train pulled out, and Gar was gone. Possibly forever.  
  
I felt about ready to cry. My love, my life... He had just left me here, staring after him, without even a goodbye. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't do anything except watch as the train's lights faded, and as the tunnel blurred through my tears.  
  
After a few moments of painful silence, a faint chirping sound caught my attention, and I glanced through tear-filled eyes to one of the benches in the station. There, all alone, sat Angel's box.  
  
I walked over to it, barely able to believe my eyes. I lifted the lid carefully, and the little creature's deep brown eyes stared up at me curiously. I smiled.  
  
"Hey there, Angel," I said softly, picking him up and placing him on the bench. "So... I guess I get to take care of you from now on, huh? Be your new mommy."  
  
Not surprisingly, he just chirped, hopping around and pecking at an envelope, half-hidden and weighted down by his box. I wrinkled my brow and slid it out from beneath the little bird's home. It had "Robin" written on it, in Gar's elegant looped handwriting.  
  
I tore it open immediately, taking out a short letter. Ignoring Angel's persistent chirps, I read:  
  
"Dear Robin,  
  
I'm so sorry about all of this. I don't want to leave you, not now, not ever. I hope you understand why I have to do this.  
  
I'd like to thank you, Robin. You are like no one I've ever met before, and you are seriously everything to me. I love you, and I'll always, always need you. If I'm lucky, the memory of you will keep me alive long enough to get home, and maybe, someday, we'll see each other in Heaven, but until then... Just take care of Angel for me, okay?  
  
Love always,  
  
Your Gar"  
  
And that was it.  
  
I was left alone, crying in a train station, clutching to my memories of him like a drowning man to a life vest, with only a bird for company. I knew he was going to be free soon, that he wouldn't be sick anymore. He'd be an angel. He was good at that, from what I'd seen in the play.  
  
I knew I'd never see him again.  
  
But humans need hope, so I kept hoping.  
  
~*End Chapter Seven*~  
  
Author's Notes: Eh... I kinda wanna just leave it as it is... It's nice like that. ^.^ Well, I'm working on the epilogue anyway. It'll be out by Friday at the latest (cuz I've got a lot goin' on this week), if I put it out. It'll wrap stuff up a bit better than this... Maybe even with a happy ending if I feel like it, and get enough requests *hint hint*. Well... Thanks for reading my story! I hope you liked it! (It was fun to write!)  
  
Reviews:  
  
Insanelycruel: Aw, thank you! ^.^ It's good that you don't have a problem with homosexuality... There are too many people out there who are afraid and hateful of things they don't understand. I'm lucky. All of my friends seem to accept me perfectly! ^.^ (Now if only I could get my family to be the same way...) Oh, and no, saying thus is not weird. I say it all the time! ^.^ (That's not too encouraging, is it?) Whoo! Pretty stars!  
  
Koujaku: I'm glad you think it's that good! Thanksabunches! ^.^ I liked chapter 6, too... It was the most fun to write... (Gee, wonder why? ^.^;;;)  
  
Piccolo's Slave: Dude, go read slash, go write slash... Just go slash! It makes the world go round! ^.^ Yeah, I like how Gar's character came out, too... He makes me wanna hug him. ^.^ I'll try to keep it up as well as I can! I hope this chapter met your expectations!  
  
R&R! It may not be quite over yet! It all depends on the reviews! 


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